JP7777281B2 - flush toilet - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to flush toilets, and more particularly to flush toilets that expel waste using flush water supplied from a flush water source.

Conventionally, as described in Patent Document 1, for example, flush toilets have been known that include a waste receiving surface that receives waste, a rim portion formed above the waste receiving surface, a basin portion formed below the waste receiving surface and within which a water reservoir surface is formed, and first and second water outlets provided in the rim portion that form a swirling flow.
In addition, in such a flush toilet, a first water outlet is provided in front of the bowl portion, and a second water outlet is provided in the rear of the bowl portion. A portion of the flush water discharged from the second water outlet flows directly into the water surface in the basin portion, hits the bottom wall of the basin, and then forms a flow that swirls vertically within the basin portion. This pushes waste into the drainage pipe and is discharged. Meanwhile, the remaining flush water discharged from the second water outlet swirls along the rim portion and flows down the waste receiving surface. This washes away waste adhering to the waste receiving surface.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-71009

Incidentally, in such flush toilets, it is conceivable to reduce the area of the waste receiving surface, which is the drying surface, and make the water collecting surface larger than before in order to prevent waste from adhering.
However, in a flush toilet such as that described in Patent Document 1, if the pooled water surface is made larger than conventional ones, the vertically swirling flow within the basin is dispersed, so even if flush water is flowed directly from the second spout onto the pooled water surface within the basin, a vertically swirling flow sufficient to discharge waste cannot be formed.This creates the problem that waste, particularly floating waste that floats on the surface of the pooled water surface, cannot be sufficiently discharged.
On the other hand, if the flow rate of the cleaning water flowing directly from the second outlet onto the water surface in the basin section is increased, the momentum of the vertically swirling flow within the basin section can be strengthened, but this reduces the amount of cleaning water swirling along the rim section, which creates the problem that the waste receiving surface cannot be sufficiently cleaned.

The present invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a flush toilet that can improve waste discharge performance and thoroughly clean the waste receiving surface even when a large water pool is formed.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a flush toilet that discharges waste using flush water supplied from a flush water source, the flush toilet having a bowl portion comprising: a bowl-shaped waste receiving surface; a rim portion having an inner peripheral surface rising from the outer edge of the waste receiving surface; and a basin portion formed below the waste receiving surface within which a water collection surface is formed; a first spout provided in the rim portion on one left-right side of the bowl portion, which spouts flush water along the inner peripheral surface of the rim portion to form a swirling flow; a second spout provided in the rim portion on the other left-right side of the bowl portion, which spouts flush water in the same direction as the swirling direction of the flush water spouted from the first spout and towards the rear region of the bowl portion; and a drainage pipe connected to the bottom of the bowl portion, the waste receiving surface and the inner peripheral surface of the rim portion being connected by a connecting portion, which connecting portion has an upwardly sloping portion inclined upward in the direction of the flow of flush water swirling along the rim portion in the rear region of the bowl portion, and a downwardly sloping portion located downstream of the upwardly sloping portion and sloping downward towards the flow direction of the flush water.
In the present invention configured as described above, the waste receiving surface and the inner peripheral surface of the rim are connected by a connecting portion. This connecting portion includes, in the rear region of the bowl, an upwardly inclined portion that slopes upward in the direction of the flow of flush water swirling along the rim, and a downwardly inclined portion located downstream of the upwardly inclined portion that slopes downward in the direction of the flow of flush water. Therefore, some of the flush water discharged from the second spout flows down the upwardly inclined portion, experiencing pressure loss, and flows vigorously into the water surface of the basin, forming a vertically swirling flow. This improves waste discharge performance. Meanwhile, the remaining flush water discharged from the second spout increases its flow velocity by flowing down the downwardly inclined portion, swirling vigorously along the rim. This allows flush water to be distributed over the entire waste receiving surface.
Therefore, even if the water pooling surface is large, the waste discharge performance can be improved and the waste receiving surface can be sufficiently cleaned.

In the present invention, the upwardly inclined portion preferably has a concavely curved portion that is curved downwardly and recessed, and the downwardly inclined portion preferably has a convexly curved portion that is curved upwardly and protrudes.
In the present invention configured in this manner, the upwardly inclined portion has a concave curved portion that is curved downward, and the downwardly inclined portion has a convex curved portion that is curved upward and protrudes, so that some of the flushing water discharged from the second water outlet flows down by flowing through the concave curved portion of the upwardly inclined portion, and the remaining flushing water flows through the convex curved portion of the downwardly inclined portion, thereby increasing the flow rate.

In the present invention, preferably, the upwardly inclined portion includes a convexly curved portion that is positioned downstream of the concavely curved portion and curved so as to protrude upward.
In the present invention configured in this manner, the upwardly inclined portion has a convexly curved portion that is located downstream of the concavely curved portion and curves so as to protrude upward, so that some of the flushing water discharged from the second water outlet flows down through the convexly curved portion of the upwardly inclined portion, undergoes pressure loss, and can flow into the water pool surface of the basin portion.

In the present invention, a horizontal portion formed substantially horizontally is provided between the upwardly inclined portion and the downwardly inclined portion.
In the present invention configured in this manner, a horizontal section formed almost horizontally is provided between the upward inclined section and the downward inclined section, so that the flushing water whose flow rate has decreased after passing through the upward inclined section can be carried onto the horizontal section and swirled.

In the present invention, the horizontal portion is preferably provided on one side in the left-right direction of the bowl portion opposite the second water outlet.
In the present invention configured in this manner, the horizontal section is provided on one side of the bowl section opposite the second water outlet in the left-right direction, so that the flushing water, whose flow rate has decreased as it flows through the bowl section opposite the second water outlet, can be placed on the horizontal section and swirled.

In the present invention, the height of the waste receiving surface is preferably lower on one side in the left-right direction of the bowl portion than on the other side in the rear region of the bowl portion.
In the present invention configured in this manner, the height of the waste receiving surface is lower on one side of the bowl section in the left-right direction than on the other side in the rear region of the bowl section, so that some of the cleaning water discharged from the second water outlet flows down from the lowered waste receiving surface and into the water collection surface of the basin section.

In the present invention, the upwardly inclined portion is preferably located in the vicinity of the second water outlet.
In the present invention configured in this manner, the upwardly inclined portion is located near the second water outlet, so that a portion of the cleaning water discharged from the second water outlet flows down early, allowing a vertical swirling flow to be formed early within the basin portion.

The flush toilet of the present invention can provide a flush toilet that can improve waste discharge performance and thoroughly clean the waste receiving surface, even when a large water pool surface is formed.

FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a flush toilet according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a plan view of a flush toilet according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IVA-IVA in FIG. 2. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IVB-IVB in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic view of the flow of flush water within the bowl portion during toilet flushing in a flush toilet according to an embodiment of the present invention.

A flush toilet 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described. First, the basic structure of the flush toilet 1 will be explained using Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a flush toilet according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 is a plan view of a flush toilet according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the flush toilet 1 is a wash-down toilet that flushes away waste using the flow of water caused by the headway in the bowl. The flush toilet 1 comprises a ceramic toilet body 2 and a water tank 4 that stores flush water for cleaning the toilet body 2. The toilet body 2 comprises a bowl 6 at the front, and a common water conduit 8 that communicates with the water tank 4 is formed at the upper rear of the bowl 6. Furthermore, a drainage pipe 10 is formed at the lower rear of the bowl 6 for discharging waste.
In the embodiments of the present invention, a wash-down toilet will be described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the flush toilet of the present invention also includes a siphon toilet that discharges waste by siphon action.

In this specification, when a user looks at the flush toilet 1 from the front, the front of the flush toilet 1 will be referred to as the "front side," the back side as the "rear side," the right side as the "right side," the left side as the "left side," the front-to-back direction of the flush toilet 1 as the "front-to-back direction," the left-to-right direction as the "left-to-right direction," and the up-to-down direction as the "vertical direction."

The above-mentioned water storage tank 4 is equipped with a drain valve 12, and when the user opens an operating lever (not shown), the drain valve 12 opens and the flush water in the water storage tank 4 is supplied to the toilet body 2.
In addition, in the flush toilet of the present invention, other than the water storage tank 4, sources of flush water may include directly pressurized tap water or a flush valve, and flush water may also be supplied using a pump.

The bowl portion 6 comprises a bowl-shaped waste receiving surface 14, a rim portion 16 with an inner peripheral surface 16a that rises from the outer edge of the waste receiving surface 14 and is exposed to the outside, and a basin portion 18 formed below the waste receiving surface 14 and forming a water collection surface W therein. The water collection surface W of the basin portion 18 is roughly triangular, measuring 160 mm to 180 mm in the front-to-back direction and 125 mm to 145 mm in the left-to-right direction when viewed from above, and is larger (enlarged) than the water collection surface of a conventional wash-down toilet. Furthermore, the basin portion 18 is 200 mm to 240 mm in the front-to-back direction when viewed from above and 150 mm to 190 mm in the left-to-right direction, forming a roughly triangular shape that is egg-shaped (an oval shape tapering at the front) relative to the water collection surface W.

The pot portion 18 has a bottom wall 18a and side walls 18b that extend upward from the bottom wall 18a and surround the water surface W on all sides. The bottom wall 18a of the pot portion 18 has a recess 18c formed to be concave downward, a front flat portion 18d formed in front of the recess 18c and having a substantially flat surface, side flat portions 18e formed on both the left and right sides of the recess 18c and also having a substantially flat surface, and a protrusion 18f formed on the lower rear side of the pot portion 18 and protruding forward.

A first water outlet 20 that spouts flush water is formed in the rim portion 16 of the bowl portion 6 at a position on the front left side of the bowl portion 6. Furthermore, a second water outlet 22 that spouts flush water is formed at a position on the rear right side of the bowl portion 6. The above-mentioned common water conduit 8 branches downstream into a first water conduit 24 and a second water conduit 26, with the first water conduit 24 extending to the first water outlet 20 and the second water conduit 26 extending to the second water outlet 22, and flush water is supplied from the water storage tank 4 to the first water outlet 20 and the second water outlet 22. Here, the first water outlet 20 spouts water toward the front region of the bowl portion 6, and the second water outlet 22 spouts water toward the rear region of the bowl portion 6. Furthermore, the first water outlet 20 and the second water outlet 22 spout flush water in a direction that forms a swirling flow that swirls in the same direction. In the case of an embodiment of the present invention, a counterclockwise swirling flow is formed. Also, in an embodiment of the present invention, of the amount of flush water supplied from the water storage tank 4 to the common water conduit 8, the ratio between the amount of flush water discharged from the first water outlet 20 and the amount of flush water discharged from the second water outlet 22 is approximately 6:4, which means that the amount of flush water discharged from the second water outlet 22 is greater than in the past.
Furthermore, the flush toilet of the present invention may have two or more water outlets (for example, three).

The drainage pipe 10 comprises an inlet 10a connected to the bottom wall 18a of the pot portion 18, an inlet pipe 10b extending downward and rearward from the inlet 10a, an ascending pipe 10c extending upward and rearward from the inlet pipe 10b, a descending pipe 10d extending downward and rearward from the ascending pipe 10c, and a top 10e located between the descending pipe 10d and the ascending pipe 10c and determining the accumulated water level. The inlet pipe 10b is connected to the bottom wall 18a of the pot portion 18 as a smooth, continuously curved surface, allowing the flush water flowing in from the inlet 10a to flow smoothly.
Here, the lower end of the descending pipe 10d of the drain pipe 10 is connected to a drain pipe (not shown) via a drain socket (not shown).

Next, the connection portion that connects the waste receiving surface 14 and the inner circumferential surface 16a of the rim portion 16 of a flush toilet 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in Figure 2.

As shown in FIG. 1, the outer edge of the waste receiving surface 14 and the inner surface 16a of the rim portion 16 are connected by a connection portion 30. The connection portion 30 forms the boundary between the waste receiving surface 14 and the inner surface 16a of the rim portion 16. The connection portion 30 is provided around almost the entire circumference of the bowl portion 6 when viewed from above (see FIG. 2). The connection portion 30 bends vertically upward from the outer edge of the waste receiving surface 14. This causes the inner surface 16a of the rim portion 16 to rise almost vertically from the outer edge of the waste receiving surface 14.

As shown in Figure 3, the connection portion 30, in the rear region of the bowl portion 6, includes an upwardly inclined portion 32 that slopes upward in the direction of the flow of flushing water swirling along the rim portion 16, a horizontal portion 34 that extends approximately horizontally from the downstream end 32a of the upwardly inclined portion 32, and a downwardly inclined portion 36 that slopes downward from the downstream end 34a of the horizontal portion 34 in the direction of the flow of flushing water swirling along the rim portion 16.

The upwardly inclined portion 32 is generally inclined upward in the direction of the flush water flow. As flush water flowing through the upwardly inclined portion 32 ascends uphill, it experiences pressure loss and its flow rate decreases. As a result, some of the flush water discharged from the second water outlet 22 flows down to the waste receiving surface 14 and directly into the pooled water surface in the basin portion 18. The upstream end 32b of the upwardly inclined portion 32 is located near the second water outlet 22, within the second water conduit 26 upstream of the second water outlet 22. The downstream end 32a of the upwardly inclined portion 32 is located in the left-right center of the bowl portion 6.

As shown in FIG. 3, the upwardly inclined portion 32 includes a concavely curved portion 32c that is curved downward and a convexly curved portion 32d that is located downstream of the concavely curved portion 32c and curves upward. Because the concavely curved portion 32c is concave downward, flush water flowing through the concavely curved portion 32c flows downward from the concavely curved portion 32c onto the waste receiving surface 14. Because the convexly curved portion 32d protrudes upward, flush water flowing through the convexly curved portion 32d experiences a pressure loss, reducing its flow rate, and flows downward onto the waste receiving surface 14. Furthermore, the concavely curved portion 32c is located close to the second water outlet 22, and the convexly curved portion 32d is located far from the second water outlet 22.

The horizontal section 34 is located at the highest position of the connecting section 30 and is formed almost horizontally. The upstream end 34b of the horizontal section 34 is located in the left-right center of the bowl section 6, and the downstream end 34a is located near the left side wall 18b of the basin section 18. The horizontal section 34 is located on the left side of the bowl section 6, opposite the second water outlet 22. This allows flush water whose flow rate has decreased after passing through the upwardly inclined section 32 to be carried onto the horizontal section 34 and swirled along the rim section 16.

The downward slope section 36 is generally inclined downward in the direction of the flush water flow. As flush water flows through the downward slope section 36, its flow rate increases as it descends. This increases the flow rate of the flush water, which has slowed after passing through the upward slope section 32, and allows it to swirl along the rim section 16. The upstream end 36a of the downward slope section 36 is located near the left side wall 18b of the basin section 18, and the downstream end 36b is located near the left edge of the waste receiving surface 14.

Next, Figures 4A and 4B will be used to explain in detail the waste receiving surface 14 in the rear region of the bowl portion 6 of a flush toilet 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4A is a cross-sectional view taken along line IVA-IVA in Figure 2, and Figure 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along line IVB-IVB in Figure 2.

4A and 4B, the height of waste receiving surface 14 is asymmetrical in the rear region of bowl portion 6 (the region rearward of basin portion 18 and forward of rim portion 16). Waste receiving surface 14 is lower in right-side rear region 14b, where second spout 22 is located, than in left-side rear region 14a.
As a result, some of the flush water discharged from the second water discharge port 22 flows down from the relatively lower left rear area 14 a and flows directly into the water surface in the basin portion 18 .

Next, the flow of flush water within the bowl portion 6 during toilet flushing in a flush toilet 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be explained using Figure 5. Figure 5 is a diagram that schematically shows the flow of flush water within the bowl portion during toilet flushing in a flush toilet according to an embodiment of the present invention.

5, first, part of the flush water discharged from the first water discharge port 20 forms a flow f1 that swirls around the inner circumferential surface 16a of the rim portion 16, and the majority flows down to the waste receiving surface 14 to form a forward main flow F1. After flowing through the front region of the waste receiving surface 14 of the bowl portion 6, the front main flow F1 reaches the rear region of the waste receiving surface 14 and flows into the basin portion 18.
Meanwhile, part of the flush water discharged from the second water discharge port 22 forms a flow f2 that swirls around the inner circumferential surface 16a of the rim portion 16, and most of it flows down to the waste receiving surface 14 to form a rear main flow F2. The rear main flow F2 flows through the rear region of the waste receiving surface 14 of the bowl portion 6, and then flows directly into the pooled water surface W in the basin portion 18.

Next, part of the cleaning water that flows into the pot portion 18 collides with the front flat portion 18d, the side flat portion 18e, or the protruding portion 18f within the pot portion 18, and is changed into an upward flow, forming a powerful vertically swirling flow F3.
As a result, the waste is stirred up and down together with the accumulated water in the basin 18 and pushed into the inlet 10 a of the drainage pipe 10 .
In addition, some of the flushing water that flows into the basin 18 is collected in a recess 18c in the bottom wall 18a of the basin 18, and is forced along the recess 18c into the inlet 10a of the drainage pipe 10.
This forces floating waste into the drainage pipe 10.

The effects of the above-described embodiment will be described below.
In a flush toilet 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the waste receiving surface 14 and the inner peripheral surface 16a of the rim portion 16 are connected by a connecting portion 30. This connecting portion 30, in the rear region of the bowl portion 6, includes an upwardly inclined portion 32 that slopes upward in the direction of the flow of flush water swirling along the rim portion 16, and a downwardly inclined portion 36 located downstream of the upwardly inclined portion 32 and slopes downward in the direction of the flow of flush water. As a result, some of the flush water discharged from the second water outlet 22 flows down the upwardly inclined portion 32, experiencing pressure loss, and flows vigorously into the pool surface W of the basin portion 18, forming a vertically swirling flow F3. This improves waste discharge performance. Meanwhile, the remaining flush water discharged from the second water outlet 22 increases its flow velocity by flowing down the downwardly inclined portion 36, and swirls vigorously along the rim portion 16. This allows the flush water to be distributed throughout the entire waste receiving surface 14.
Therefore, even if the water pooling surface W is formed large, the waste discharge performance can be improved and the waste receiving surface 14 can be sufficiently cleaned.

Furthermore, in the flush toilet 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the upwardly inclined portion 32 has a concave curved portion 32c that is curved downwardly, and the downwardly inclined portion 36 has a convex curved portion that is curved upwardly. As a result, some of the flush water discharged from the second water discharge port 22 flows downward by flowing through the concave curved portion 32c of the upwardly inclined portion 32, and the remaining flush water flows through the convex curved portion 32d of the downwardly inclined portion 36, thereby increasing the flow rate.

In a flush toilet 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the upwardly inclined portion 32 is provided with a convexly curved portion 32d that is positioned downstream of the concavely curved portion 32c and curves so as to protrude upward. As a result, some of the flush water discharged from the second water discharge port 22 flows down the convexly curved portion 32d of the upwardly inclined portion 32, undergoing pressure loss and allowing it to flow into the pooled water surface W.

In addition, in the flush toilet 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, a horizontal section 34 formed approximately horizontally is provided between the upwardly inclined section 32 and the downwardly inclined section 36, so that flush water whose flow rate has decreased after passing through the upwardly inclined section 32 can be carried onto the horizontal section 34 and swirled.

In a flush toilet 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the horizontal section 34 is provided on one side (the left side) of the bowl section 6 opposite the second water outlet 22, so that the flush water, whose flow rate has decreased as it flows through the bowl section 6 opposite the second water outlet 22, can be carried onto the horizontal section 34 and swirled.

In addition, in the flush toilet 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the height of the waste receiving surface 14 is lower on one side (the right side) of the bowl portion 6 in the rear region than on the other side (the left side) in the left-right direction of the bowl portion 6, so that some of the flush water discharged from the second water discharge port 22 flows down from the lowered waste receiving surface 14 and into the water pool surface W of the basin portion 18.

In the flush toilet 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the upwardly inclined portion 32 is located near the second water outlet 22, allowing a portion of the flush water discharged from the second water outlet 22 to flow downward early, quickly forming a vertical swirling flow within the basin portion 18.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the technical concept described in the claims.

1: Flush toilet 6: Bowl portion 10: Drainage pipe 10a: Drainage pipe inlet 14: Waste receiving surface 14a: Rear area 14b on the left side of the waste receiving surface: Rear area 16 on the right side of the waste receiving surface: Rim portion 16a: Inner surface 18 of the rim portion: Bowl portion 20: First water outlet 22: Second water outlet 30: Connection portion 32: Upward inclined portion 32c: Concave curved portion 32d: Convex curved portion 34: Horizontal portion 36: Downward inclined portion F1: Front main flow F2: Rear main flow F3: Vertical swirling flow W: Pooled water surface

Claims (7)

A flush toilet that discharges waste using flush water supplied from a flush water source,
a bowl portion including a bowl-shaped waste receiving surface, a rim portion having an inner peripheral surface rising from the outer edge of the waste receiving surface, and a basin portion formed below the waste receiving surface and having a water collecting surface formed therein;
a first water discharge port provided in the rim portion on one side of the bowl portion in the left-right direction, the first water discharge port discharging flush water along the inner circumferential surface of the rim portion to form a swirling flow;
a second water outlet provided on the rim portion on the other left-right side of the bowl portion, for spouting flush water in the same direction as the swirling direction of flush water spouted from the first water outlet and toward the rear region of the bowl portion;
a drainage pipe connected to the bottom of the bowl;
and
The waste receiving surface and the inner peripheral surface of the rim portion are connected by a connecting portion, and this connecting portion has, in the rear region of the bowl portion, an upwardly inclined portion that slopes upward in the direction of the flow of flush water swirling along the rim portion, and a downwardly inclined portion that is located downstream of this upwardly inclined portion and slopes downward in the direction of the flow of flush water ,
A flush toilet characterized in that the upwardly inclined portion is provided with a concavely curved portion that is curved downward . The flush toilet according to claim 1, wherein the downwardly inclined portion is curved so as to protrude upward. A flush toilet as described in claim 2, wherein the upwardly inclined portion has a convexly curved portion that is located downstream of the concavely curved portion and curves so as to protrude upward. A flush toilet according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a horizontal section formed approximately horizontally is provided between the upwardly inclined section and the downwardly inclined section. A flush toilet according to claim 4, wherein the horizontal portion is provided on one side of the bowl portion in the left-right direction opposite the second spout. A flush toilet as recited in claim 1, wherein the height of the waste receiving surface is lower on one side of the bowl portion in the left-right direction than on the other side in the rear region of the bowl portion. The flush toilet according to claim 1, wherein the upwardly inclined portion is located near the second spout.